Discovery method and an electronic device thereof

ABSTRACT

A method of operating an electronic device in a neighbor awareness networking (NAN) cluster and an electronic device thereof are provided. The method includes receiving, from another electronic device in the NAN cluster, via a direct communication path, a NAN service discovery frame (SDF) including information for indicating at least one discovery window (DW) among a plurality of DWs, when the other electronic device operates in an awake mode, and switching, based on the received information, an operation mode from a sleep mode to the awake mode in the at least one DW among the plurality of DWs.

PRIORITY

This application is a Continuation application of, and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/950,893,which was filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 24,2015, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to a Korean PatentApplication filed on Nov. 25, 2014, in the Korean Intellectual PropertyOffice and is assigned Serial No. 10-2014-0165439, the entire disclosureof each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to a discovery method, and anelectronic device thereof, and more particularly, to a proximity networkconfiguration method in which each of electronic devices constituting acluster through a proximity network shares active duration informationof a Discovery Window (DW) which is configured differently or changed,and can effectively transmit/receive a signal on a basis of the sharedactive duration information, and an electronic device thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

There is ongoing development on various types of proximity communicationservices using a near field communication technique. For example, thereis ongoing development on a proximity communication service which canconfigure a proximity network between neighboring electronic devices andcan exchange data through the proximity network.

The proximity communication service may be a low power proximitycommunication service, for example, using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)beacon or the like, and may use a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)communication standard based on a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

The proximity communication service is a service using a proximitynetwork which changes dynamically. For example, in an NAN communication,a set of electronic devices constituting a proximity network may becalled a cluster.

For an electronic device which intends to join a cluster, at least oneelectronic device in the cluster must transmit a signal for reportingthe existence of the cluster, and the electronic device which intents tojoin the cluster must receive the signal.

A signal for discovering a cluster may be transmitted by all electronicdevices in the cluster or may be transmitted by some electronic devicesin the cluster. The electronic devices that transmit a signal fordiscovering a cluster may consume relatively more power than electronicdevices that do not transmit a signal for discovering a cluster due tothe transmission of the signal for discovering a cluster.

Even if some electronic devices transmit a signal for discovering acluster, other electronic devices may not be able to receive the signal.For example, each electronic device in a cluster may configure an activeduration capable of transmitting/receiving a signal for discovering acluster differently to decrease power consumption.

In an NAN communication, an active duration capable oftransmitting/receiving a signal for discovering a cluster may be calleda Discovery Window (DW). For example, even if some electronic devicestransmit the signal for discovering a cluster, another electronic devicemay not receive the signal transmitted by some of the electronic devicesif it is not a duration in which a DW of the other electronic device isactive.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a proximity networkconfiguration method in which each electronic device constituting acluster through a proximity network shares active duration informationof a DW which is configured differently or changed, and can effectivelytransmit/receive a signal on a basis of the shared active durationinformation, and an electronic device thereof.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operatingan electronic device in a neighbor awareness networking (NAN) cluster isprovided. The method includes receiving, from another electronic devicein the NAN cluster, via a direct communication path, a NAN servicediscovery frame (SDF) including information for indicating at least onediscovery window (DW) among a plurality of DWs, when the otherelectronic device operates in an awake mode, and switching, based on thereceived information, an operation mode from a sleep mode to the awakemode in the at least one DW among the plurality of DWs.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice in a neighbor awareness networking (NAN) cluster is provided. Theelectronic device includes a processor and a communication moduleoperatively coupled to the processor. The processor is configured tocontrol to receive, from another electronic device in the NAN cluster,via a direct communication path, a NAN service discovery frame (SDF)comprising information for indicating at least one discovery window (DW)among a plurality of DWs, when the other electronic device operates inan awake mode, and switch, based on the received information, anoperation mode from a sleep mode to the awake mode in the at least oneDW among the plurality of DWs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certainembodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network environment of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a cluster according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an NAN discovery window according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of data exchange in a cluster according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a discovery operation between respectiveelectronic devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a chart of active duration information of discovery windowsfor three NAN devices according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 8 is a chart of an NAN service discovery frame according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a chart of an NAN attribute general format according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a chart of an NAN attribute format in an NAN beacon frame andan NAN service discovery frame according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 11 is a chart of a service descriptor attribute format according toan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a chart of a discovery operation using an Available ActiveDiscovery Window (AADW) bitmap according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an NAN communication method according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a chart of a discovery operation using a changed AADW bitmapaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an NAN communication method according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings. The various embodiments ofthe present disclosure may be changed in various forms, and are notlimited to a certain embodiment described in detail hereinafter, as willbe apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network environment 100 of an electronicdevice 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the network environment 100 of the electronicdevice 101 may include various types of the electronic device 101 suchas a smart phone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), or the like, and mayinclude an external electronic device 102 which communicates with theelectronic device 101 in a near distance, an external electronic device104 and a server 106 which communicate in a far distance via a network162.

The electronic device 101 may include, for example, a bus 110, aprocessor 120, a memory 130, an input/output interface 150, a display160, a communication interface 170, or the like. The bus 110 may includea circuit for connecting the aforementioned elements and for deliveringa communication message or data between the elements.

The processor 120 may include one or more of a Central Processing Unit(CPU), an Application Processor (AP), and a Communication Processor(CP), and may control at least one of the elements of the electronicdevice 101 or may execute an arithmetic operation or process data forcommunication.

The processor 120 may provide control to, for example, configure aproximity network, and exchange data through a communication durationsynchronized with other electronic devices belonging to a cluster of theproximity network. Herein, a communication duration may be referred toas a Discovery Window (DW) according to an NAN communication standard.

The memory 130 may include, for example, a volatile and/or anon-volatile memory, may store an instruction or data related to atleast one different element of the electronic device 101, and may storesoftware and/or a program 140.

The program 140 may include, for example, a kernel 141, middleware 143,an Application Programming Interface (API) 145, an application program147, or the like. At least one part of the kernel 141, the middleware143, or the API 145 may be referred to as an Operating System (OS).

The kernel 141 may control or manage, for example, system resources(e.g., the bus 110, the processor 120, the memory 130, etc.) used toexecute an operation or function implemented in other programs (e.g.,the middleware 143, the API 145, or the application program 147).

The middleware 143 may perform a mediation role so that the API 145 orthe application program 147 can communicate with the kernel 141 toexchange data.

The API 145 may include at least one interface or function for filecontrol, window control, video processing, character control, and thelike, as an interface capable of controlling a function provided by theapplication 147 in the kernel 141 or the middleware 143.

The input/output interface 150 may play a role of an interface capableof delivering, for example, an instruction or data input from a user ora different external electronic device, to the different elements of theelectronic device 101.

The display 160 may be various types of a display, for example, a LiquidCrystal Display (LCD), a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, an OrganicLight-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, or the like, may include a touchscreen, and may receive a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering inputby using an electronic pen or a part of a user's body.

The communication interface 170 may establish a communication betweenthe electronic device 101, the external electronic devices 102 and 104,and the server 106. For example, the communication interface 170 maycommunicate with the external electronic device 104 and the server 106by being connected with the network 162 through wireless communicationor wired communication.

The wireless communication may include, for example, at least one ofLong Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Code Division MultipleAccess (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Broadband (WiBro), GlobalSystem for Mobile communications (GSM), or the like. The wiredcommunication may include, for example, at least one of a UniversalSerial Bus (USB), a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), aRecommended Standard (RS)-232, and a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).

The network 162 may include, for example, at least one of atelecommunications network, a computer network (e.g., a Local AreaNetwork (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN)), an internet, and atelephone network.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device 201 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device 201 may include, for example,at least one Application Processor (AP) 210, a communication module 220,a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card 224, a memory 230, asensor module 240, an input unit 250, a display 260, an interface 270,an audio module 280, a camera module 291, a power management module 295,a battery 296, an indicator 297, a motor 298, or the like.

The AP 210 may control a plurality of hardware or software elementsconnected to the AP 210 by driving, for example, an operating system oran application program, and may process a variety of data includingmultimedia data and may perform an arithmetic operation. The AP 210 maybe implemented, for example, with a System on Chip (SoC), and mayfurther include a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and/or an image signalprocessor.

The AP 210 may include at least one part (e.g., the cellular module 221)of the aforementioned elements of FIG. 2, and may process an instructionor data, which is received from at least one of different elements(e.g., a non-volatile memory), by loading it to a volatile memory andmay store a variety of data in the non-volatile memory.

The communication module 220 may have the same or similar configurationof the communication interface 160 of FIG. 1. The communication module220 may include a cellular module 221, a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)module 223, a BlueTooth (BT) module 225, a Global Positioning System(GPS) module 227, a Near Field Communication (NFC) module 228, and aRadio Frequency (RF) module 229.

The cellular module 221 may provide a voice call, a video call, a textservice, an internet service, and the like, for example, through acommunication network. The cellular module 221 may identify andauthenticate the electronic device 201 within the communication networkby using the SIM card 224. The cellular module 221 may perform at leastsome functions that can be provided by the AP 210, and may include aCommunication Processor (CP).

Each of the Wi-Fi module 223, the BT module 225, the GPS module 227, andthe NFC module 228 may include, for example, a processor for processingdata transmitted/received through a corresponding module. At least some(e.g., two or more) of the cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi module 223,the BT module 225, the GPS module 227, and the NFC module 228 may beincluded in one Integrated Circuit (IC) or IC package.

The RF module 229 may transmit/receive, for example, an RF signal, andmay include a transceiver, a Power Amplifier Module (PAM), a frequencyfilter, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), an antenna, or the like. At leastone of the cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi module 223, the BT module 225,the GPS module 227, and the NFC module 228 may transmit/receive an RFsignal via a separate RF module.

The SIM card 224 may include a SIM and/or an embedded SIM, and mayinclude unique identification information (e.g., an Integrated CircuitCard IDentifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (e.g., anInternational Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

The memory 230 may include, for example, an internal memory 232 or anexternal memory 234. The sensor module 240 may measure, for example, aphysical quantity or detect an operational state of the electronicdevice 201, and thus may convert the measured or detected informationinto an electrical signal.

The sensor module 240 may include, for example, at least one of agesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, a pressure sensor 240C, amagnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, aproximity sensor 240G, a color sensor 240H (e.g., a Red, Green, Blue(RGB) sensor), a bio sensor 240I, a temperature/humidity sensor 240J, anillumination sensor 240K, and an Ultra Violet (UV) light sensor 240M.

The sensor module 240 may include, for example, an Electronic-nose(E-nose) sensor, an ElectroMyoGraphy (EMG) sensor, anElectroEncephaloGram (EEG) sensor, an ElectroCardioGram (ECG) sensor, anInfraRed (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, a fingerprint sensor, and thelike.

The input unit 250 may include, for example, a touch panel 252, a(digital) pen sensor 254, a key 256, or an ultrasonic input unit 258.The display 260 may include a panel 262, a hologram 264, or a projector266.

The interface 270 may include, for example, an HDMI 272, a USB 274, anoptical communication interface 276, or a D-subminiature (D-sub)connector 278. The audio module 280 may bilaterally convert, forexample, a sound and electronic signal, and may convert soundinformation which is input or output, for example, through a speaker282, a receiver 284, an earphone 286, the microphone 288, and the like.

The camera module 291 is a device, for example, for image and videocapturing, and may include one or more image sensors (e.g., a frontsensor or a rear sensor), a lens, an Image Signal Processor (ISP), or aflash (e.g., LED or xenon lamp).

The power management module 295 may manage power of, for example, theelectronic device 201, and may include a Power Management IntegratedCircuit (PMIC), a charger Integrated Circuit (IC), or a battery gauge.

The indicator 297 may indicate a certain state, for example, a bootingstate, a message state, a charging state, and the like, of theelectronic device 201 or a part thereof (e.g., the AP 210). The motor298 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, andmay generate an effect such as a vibration or the like.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a cluster 300 according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cluster 300 indicates a set of electronicdevices which constitute a proximity network so that each electronicdevice can mutually transmit and receive data.

The cluster 300 may be called an NAN cluster according to an NANcommunication standard. The cluster 300 may be constructed of, forexample, a plurality of electronic devices 310, 320, 330, and 340. Eachof the electronic devices in the cluster 300 may perform discovery,synchronization, and data exchange operations by using, for example, abeacon, a synchronization beacon, a service discovery frame, or thelike.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an NAN discovery window according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, electronic devices included in a cluster maytransmit a signal through a certain channel (e.g., channel 6) accordingto an NAN communication standard.

The electronic devices may transmit a synchronization beacon 402 and aservice discovery frame 403 in a certain DW duration defined in an NANcommunication standard, and may transmit a discovery beacon 401 in aduration other than the certain DW duration.

The synchronization beacon 402 and the service discovery frame 403 maybe transmitted in a contention-based manner between the respectiveelectronic devices belonging to a cluster. The DW is a duration in whicha corresponding electronic device is activated from a low-power or sleepstate to a full-power or wake-up state for data exchange between therespective electronic devices.

The DW may be divided into Time Units (TUs), for example, millisecondunits. The DW for transmitting/receiving the synchronization beacon 402and the service discovery frame 403 may occupy, for example, 16 TUsaccording to an NAN communication standard, and may have a cycle thatrepeats every 512 TUs (i.e., 512T).

The discovery beacon 401 is a signal transmitted to allow an electronicdevice, which has not joined a cluster, to discover the cluster. Thatis, the discovery beacon 401 is a signal for reporting the existence ofa cluster, and electronic devices can join the cluster by performing apassive scan to receive the discovery beacon 401.

The discovery beacon 401 may include information necessary forsynchronizing with a cluster. For example, the discovery beacon mayinclude at least one of a Frame Control (FC) field for indicating asignal's function (e.g., a beacon), a broadcast address, a Media AccessControl (MAC) address of a transmitting device, a cluster identifier, asequence control, a time stamp for a beacon frame, a beacon interval forindicating a transmission interval of the discovery beacon, andcapability information of the transmitting device.

The discovery beacon 401 may include at least one proximity network (orcluster) related information element. The proximity network relatedinformation may be referred to as attribute information.

The synchronization beacon 402 is a signal for maintainingsynchronization between respective electronic devices belonging to acluster. The synchronization beacon 402 may include necessaryinformation for synchronizing with a cluster.

For example, the synchronization beacon 402 may include at least one ofan FC field for indicating a signal's function (e.g., a beacon), abroadcast address, a MAC address of a transmitting device, a clusteridentifier, a sequence control, a time stamp for a beacon frame, abeacon interval for indicating a transmission interval of a discoverybeacon, and capability information of a transmitting device. Thesynchronization beacon 402 may include at least one piece of proximitynetwork related information.

The service discovery frame 403 is a signal for exchanging data througha proximity network. Proximity network related information may includecontents for a proximity network service. The service discovery frame403 is a vendor specific public action frame, and may include variousfields.

For example, the service discovery frame 403 may include category andaction fields, and may include at least one piece of proximity networkrelated information.

The discovery beacon 401 may include proximity network relatedinformation. The proximity network related information may include anidentifier indicating an information type, an information length, and abody field as corresponding information.

For example, corresponding information may include at least one ofmaster indication information, cluster information, service identifierlist information, service descriptor information, connection capabilityinformation, WLAN infrastructure information, Peer To Peer (P2P)operation information, Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) information,mesh information, further proximity network service discoveryinformation, further availability map information, country codeinformation, ranging information, cluster discovery information, andvendor specific information.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of data exchange in a cluster according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, at least one electronic device 501 in an NANcluster may play a role of a master electronic device.

The electronic device 501 may transmit a Service Discovery Frame (SDF)in a DW duration, for example, according to an NAN communicationstandard, and other electronic devices 502 and 503 in the NAN clustermay receive the SDF.

In a duration other than the DW duration, the electronic devices 501,502, and 503 maintain a sleep state as a power saving mode to reducepower consumption. For example, since the electronic devices operate ina wake-up state by transitioning from the sleep state only in a DWactive duration according to a time clock, power consumption can bereduced.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a discovery operation between respectiveelectronic devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, for example, 1^(st) to 3^(rd) electronic devices601, 602, and 603 belonging to one cluster may configure different DWactive durations according to a power state, operation state, or thelike of each electronic device.

The 1^(st) electronic device 601 may configure 16 DW active durationsDW0-15 in which a signal can be transmitted/received with an interval of1×512 TUs during 16 DW TUs according to an NAN communication standard.

The 2^(nd) electronic device 602 may configure 8 DW active durationsDW0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 in which a signal can betransmitted/received with an interval of 2×512 TUs during the 16 DW TUs.

The 3^(rd) electronic device 603 may configure 4 DW active durationsDW0, 4, 8, and 12 in which a signal can be transmitted/received with aninterval of 4×512 TUs during the 16 DW TUs.

According to an NAN communication standard, among the 16 DWs, the 1^(st)DW, i.e., DW0, is specified such that all electronic devices must be ina wake-up state, and thus synchronization can be continuously maintainedbetween the electronic devices 601 to 603.

If the 1^(st) electronic device 601 transmits an SDF or the like, forexample, in the DW5, in a broadcasting or unicasting manner, as shown inFIG. 6, the 2^(nd) electronic device 602 and the 3^(rd) electronicdevice 603 are not in a DW active duration but in a sleep state, andthus cannot receive the SDF.

That is, if the 1^(st) to 3^(rd) electronic devices 601 to 603 do notshare active duration information of a DW which may be configureddifferently or changed according to a power state or an operation stateor the like of each electronic device, as described above with referenceto FIG. 6, a signal transmission error may occur in which a signaltransmitted by an electronic device cannot be received by anotherelectronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, DW active durationinformation configured in each electronic device is shared, and signalsare transmitted/received in a proper duration in which other electronicdevices can receive the signals on the basis of the shared activeduration information. Therefore, a signal transmitted by one electronicdevice in a cluster can be received by another electronic device,thereby being able to increase certainty of signal transmission and toavoid unnecessary power consumption.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of active duration information of adiscovery window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, the DW active duration information may be referredto variously as, for example, an Available Active Discovery Window(AADW) bitmap, or the like, and the AADW bitmap may be a bit-stream of16 bits.

A value of 1 included in the AADW bitmap indicates a duration in which aDW is active, and a value of 0 included in the AADW bitmap indicates aduration in which the DW is not active.

For example, an AADW bitmap 701 of the 1^(st) electronic device 601 ofFIG. 6 may have a bit-stream value of “1111111111111111,” and this valueindicates that the 1^(st) electronic device 601 is configured with 16 DWactive durations DW0-15 in which a signal can be transmitted/receivedwith an interval of 1×512 TUs during 16 DW TUs.

An AADW bitmap 702 of the 2^(nd) electronic device 602 may have abit-stream value of “1010101010101010,” and this value indicates thatthe electronic device 602 is configured with 8 DW active durations DW0,2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 in which a signal can be transmitted/receivedwith an interval of 2×512 TUs during 16 DW TUs.

An AADW bitmap 703 of the 3^(rd) electronic device 603 may have abit-stream value of “1000100010001000,” and this value indicates thatthe electronic device 603 is configured with 4 DW active durations DW0,4, 8, and 12 in which a signal can be transmitted/received with aninterval of 4×512 TUs during 16 DW TUs.

FIG. 8 is a chart of an NAN service discovery frame according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, an NAN service discovery frame 800 may include acategory 801, an action field 802, an Organizationally Unique Identifier(OUI) 803, an OUI type 804, and an NAN attributes field 805 according toan NAN communication standard.

The NAN attributes field 805 may have an undetermined variable size andan undetermined variable value, and at least one piece of NAN attributeinformation may be recorded therein.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice belonging to a cluster transmits an AADW bitmap as DW activeduration information of the electronic device by including the AADWbitmap in an SDF, e.g., the NAN attributes field 805 or the like, andother electronic devices belonging to the cluster receive and share theAADW bitmap.

Further, the AADW bitmap may be transmitted by being included in asynchronization beacon or a discovery beacon, and thus can be shared byelectronic devices. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the AADW bitmapis included in the SDF is described below in detail. However, thepresent disclosure is not limited to an embodiment describedhereinafter, as will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art.

FIG. 9 illustrates an NAN attribute general format according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, an NAN attribute general format 900 may include anattribute IDentifier (ID) 901, a length 902, and an attribute body field903 according to an NAN communication standard.

Each of the attribute ID 901 and the length 902 has a determined size(e.g., 1 octet and 2 octets, respectively) and an undetermined variablevalue. The attribute body field 903 has an undetermined variable sizeand variable value. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an AADWbitmap may be transmitted to an electronic device by being included inthe attribute body field 903.

FIG. 10 illustrates an NAN attribute format in an NAN beacon frame andan NAN service discovery frame according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10, an NAN attribute format 1000 in an NAN beaconframe and an NAN service discovery frame may include a variety ofseveral pieces of attribute information according to an NANcommunication standard.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, according to the NAN attribute format1000, a service descriptor attribute 1001, a reserved area 1002, avendor specific attribute 1003, or the like may be included, and anattribute ID which is unique for each piece of attribute information maybe included.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an AADW bitmap ofa corresponding electronic device may be transmitted by being includedin the reserved area 1002. In an embodiment of the present disclosure,the AADW bitmap of the corresponding electronic device may betransmitted by being included in the vendor specific attribute 1003, anda unique attribute ID for reporting that the AADW bitmap is included maybe defined and transmitted to electronic devices in a cluster. Further,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AADW bitmap ofthe corresponding electronic device may be transmitted by being includedin the service descriptor attribute 1001.

FIG. 11 is a chart of a service descriptor attribute format according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, a service descriptor attribute format 1100 mayinclude a variety of several pieces of information according to an NANcommunication standard.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, according to the service descriptorattribute format 1100, a service ID 1101, a service Information (orInfo) service, or the like may be included. The service ID 1101 has adetermined size (e.g., 6 octets) and an undetermined variable value, andthe service information 1102 has an undetermined variable size andvariable value.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an AADW bitmap ofa corresponding electronic device may be transmitted by being includedin the service information 1102, and a new service ID 1101 forindicating that the AADW bitmap is included may be defined andtransmitted to electronic devices in a cluster.

FIG. 12 is a chart of a discovery operation using an AADW bitmapaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, for example, 1^(st) to 3^(rd) electronic devices1201, 1202, and 1203 belonging to one cluster may configure different DWactive durations according to a power state, operation state, or thelike of each electronic device.

The 1^(st) electronic device 1201 may configure 16 DW active durationsDW0-15 in which a signal can be transmitted/received with an interval of1×512 TUs during 16 DW TUs according to an NAN communication standard.

The 2^(nd) electronic device 1202 may configure 8 DW active durationsDW0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 in which a signal can betransmitted/received with an interval of 2×512 TUs during the 16 DW TUs.

The 3^(rd) electronic device 1203 may configure 4 DW active durationDW0, 4, 8, and 12 in which a signal can be transmitted/received with aninterval of 4×512 TUs during the 16 DW TUs.

According to an NAN communication standard, among the 16 DWs, the 1^(st)DW, i.e., DW0, is specified such that all electronic devices must be ina wake-up state, and thus synchronization can be continuously maintainedbetween the electronic devices 1201 to 1203.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the DW0 in which allelectronic devices are in the wakeup state as described above, an AADWbitmap configured in each electronic device may be transmitted by beingincluded in an SDF, and even if the AADW bitmap configured in eachelectronic device is changed, the AADW bitmap may be transmitted bybeing included in the SDF. Accordingly, all of the electronic devicescan share mutual AADW bitmaps.

Each of the electronic devices can transmit a signal to anotherelectronic device by transmitting at least one of a synchronizationbeacon, a discovery beacon, and an SDF in a broadcast or unicast manneron the basis of the shared AADW bitmaps of the other electronic devices.

Referring to FIG. 12, since the 1^(st) to 3^(rd) electronic devices1201, 1202, and 1203 share the mutual AADW bitmaps, if the 1^(st)electronic device 1201 transmits an SDF1 b in the DW4 of FIG. 12, boththe 2^(nd) electronic device 1202 and the 3^(rd) electronic device 1203can receive the SDF1 b. In this case, the SDF1 b is transmitted in abroadcast manner.

If the 1^(st) electronic device 1201 transmits an SDF1 c in the DW6 ofFIG. 12, only the 2^(nd) electronic device 1202 can receive the SDF1 c.In this case, the SDF1 c is transmitted in a unicast manner.

If the 2^(nd) electronic device 1202 transmits an SDF2 b in the DW8 ofFIG. 12, both the 1^(st) electronic device 1201 and the 3^(rd)electronic device 1203 can receive the SDF2 b. In this case, the SDF1 bis transmitted in a broadcast manner.

If the 2^(nd) electronic device 1202 transmits an SDF2 c in the DW10 ofFIG. 12, only the 1^(st) electronic device 1201 can receive the SDF2 c.In this case, eventually, the SDF2 c is transmitted in a unicast manner.

If the 3^(rd) electronic device 1203 transmits an SDF3 b in the DW12 ofFIG. 12, both the 1^(st) electronic device 1201 and the 2^(nd)electronic device 1202 can receive the SDF3 b. In this case, the SDF3 bis transmitted in a broadcast manner.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice may include a communication module for communicating with anelectronic device through a proximity network, and a processor forcontrolling the communication module. The processor may control thecommunication module to configure a cluster with an electronic devicethrough a proximity network, to acquire active duration information of adiscovery window for the electronic device, and to communicate with theelectronic device on the basis of the active duration information.

The proximity network may be a near field communication network to whichan NAN communication standard is applied. The active durationinformation of the discovery window may be an Available Active DiscoveryWindow (AADW) bitmap. The active duration information of the discoverywindow may be transmitted by being included in a service discovery frameof an NAN communication standard applied to the proximity network.

The active duration information of the discovery window may betransmitted by being included in a reserved area of an NAN attributesfield of the service discovery frame. The active duration information ofthe discovery window may be transmitted by being included in a vendorspecific attribute area of an NAN attributes field of the servicediscovery frame. The active duration information of the discovery windowmay be transmitted by being included in a service descriptor attributearea of an NAN attributes field of the service discovery frame.

The service descriptor attribute area may include a service IDentifier(ID) field and a service Info field. The service ID field may include aservice ID for the active duration information of the discovery window.The service information field may include the active durationinformation of the discovery window.

If the active duration information of the discovery window of anelectronic device is changed while communicating with another electronicdevice, a processor may control a communication module to transmit thechanged active duration information of the discovery window to the otherelectronic device. The active duration information of the discoverywindow of the electronic device may be changed by at least one of achange in a power state and a change in an operation state of theelectronic device.

If the changed active duration information of the discovery window of anelectronic device is acquired while another electronic device iscommunicating with the electronic device, a processor may control acommunication module to change the active duration information of thediscovery window of the other electronic device in accordance with theacquired active duration information.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an NAN communication method according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 13, in step 1300, a plurality of neighboringelectronic devices may be configured as one cluster as a proximitynetwork according to an NAN communication standard.

In step 1301, the plurality of electronic devices in the clustertransmit to other electronic devices an AADW bitmap which is DW activeduration information configured in each electronic device by includingthe AADW bitmap in an SDF. Therefore, the plurality of electronicdevices can share mutual AADW bitmaps.

In step 1302, each of the electronic devices can perform accurate NANcommunication in which at least one electronic device transmits asynchronization beacon, an SDF, or the like in a wakeup state, on thebasis of the shared AADW bitmap of the other electronic devices.

FIG. 14 is a chart of a discovery operation using a changed AADW bitmapaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 14, for example, a 1^(st) electronic device 1401 and a2^(nd) electronic device 1402 which belong to one cluster may randomlychange a pre-set DW active duration according to a power state, anoperation state, or the like of each electronic device.

Since the 1^(st) electronic device 1401 and the 2^(nd) electronic device1402 share mutual AADW bitmaps, data can be exchanged bytransmitting/receiving a service discovery frame (i.e., SDF1 b) or thelike in a DW0 to a DW6 in FIG. 14.

Thereafter, if the 2^(nd) electronic device 1402 changes a pre-set AADWbitmap differently according to a low-power state, an operation state,or the like, the changed AADW bitmap may be transmitted in a DW8 bybeing included in a service discovery frame (i.e., SDF2 a).

The 1^(st) electronic device 1401 may extract the AADW bitmap includedthe service discovery frame (i.e., SDF2 a) received in the DW8 andupdate it to the AADW bitmap of the 2^(nd) electronic device 1402, andthereafter may perform an NAN communication with the 2^(nd) electronicdevice 1402 according to the updated AADW bitmap.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an NAN communication method according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 15, in step 1500, a plurality of neighboringelectronic devices may be configured into one cluster as a proximitynetwork according to an NAN communication standard.

In step 1501, the plurality of electronic devices in the clustertransmit to other electronic devices an AADW bitmap which is DW activeduration information configured in each electronic device by includingthe AADW bitmap into an SDF. Therefore, the plurality of electronicdevices can share mutual AADW bitmaps.

In step 1502, each of the electronic devices can perform an NANcommunication in which at least one electronic device transmits asynchronization beacon, an SDF, or the like in a wakeup state, on thebasis of the shared AADW bitmap of the other electronic devices.

In step 1503, if at least one electronic device among the plurality ofelectronic devices changes an AAWD bitmap to be different from theprevious one according to a power state, an operation state, or thelike, in step 1504, the electronic device which has changed the AADWbitmap transmits the changed AADW bitmap to another electronic device byincluding the AADW bitmap into the SDF. Therefore, the plurality ofelectronic devices can update and share the changed AADW bitmaps.

In step 1505, each of the electronic devices can perform an NANcommunication in which at least one electronic device transmits asynchronization beacon, an SDF, or the like in a wakeup state, on thebasis of the updated and shared AADW bitmap of the other electronicdevices.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method ofoperating an electronic device may include configuring a cluster with anelectronic device through a proximity network, acquiring active durationinformation of a discovery window for the electronic device, andcommunicating with the electronic device on the basis of the activeduration information.

The proximity network may be a near field communication network to whichan NAN communication standard is applied. The active durationinformation of the discovery window may be an AADW bitmap. The activeduration information of the discovery window may be transmitted by beingincluded in a service discovery frame of an NAN communication standardapplied to the proximity network.

The active duration information of the discovery window may betransmitted by being included in a reserved area of an NAN attributesfield of the service discovery frame. The active duration information ofthe discovery window may be transmitted by being included in a vendorspecific attribute area of an NAN attributes field of the servicediscovery frame. The active duration information of the discovery windowmay be transmitted by being included in a service descriptor attributearea of an NAN attributes field of the service discovery frame.

The service descriptor attribute area may include a service IDentifier(ID) field and a service Info field, wherein the service ID fieldincludes a service ID for the active duration information of thediscovery window, and wherein the service information field includes theactive duration information of the discovery window.

The method may further include, if the active duration information ofthe discovery window of the electronic device is changed whilecommunicating with another electronic device, transmitting the changedactive duration information of the discovery window to the otherelectronic device. The active duration information of the discoverywindow of the electronic device may be changed by at least one of achange in a power state and a change in operation state of theelectronic device.

The method may further include, if the changed active durationinformation of the discovery window of an electronic device is acquiredwhile communicating with the electronic device, changing the activeduration information of the discovery window of another electronicdevice in accordance with the acquired active duration information.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, each electronic device configured in a cluster as aproximity network, for example, on the basis of an NAN communicationstandard shares active duration information of a DW configureddifferently or changed on the basis of a power state or an operationstate or the like, and transmits/receives a signal in an active durationin which electronic devices in the cluster can receive the signal on thebasis of the shared active duration information, thereby being able toincrease certainty of signal transmission and to avoid unnecessary powerconsumption.

While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described withreference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, which is distinct from an accesspoint, operable in a wireless local area network, the apparatuscomprising: a communication circuitry to support neighbor awarenessnetworking in relation with the wireless local area network; and aprocessor configured to: detect, using the communication circuitry, anelectronic device external to the apparatus; receive, using thecommunication circuitry, information including a plurality of bitsindicating intervals between a plurality of discovery windows in whichthe electronic device is operated in a wake-up state with respect to theneighbor awareness networking, from the electronic device; identify,based on the information, at least one discovery window forcommunicating with the electronic device among the plurality ofdiscovery windows; and switch an operation state of the apparatus from asleep state to the wake-up state in the at least one discovery window.2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configuredto receive content from the electronic device in the at least onediscovery window.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor isfurther configured to transmit, to the electronic device, anotherinformation indicating other intervals between another plurality ofdiscovery windows in which the apparatus is operated in the wake-upstate with respect to the neighbor awareness networking.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein a first time duration corresponding to theintervals is longer than a second time duration corresponding to atleast one of the plurality of discovery windows.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust otherintervals between another plurality of discovery windows in which theapparatus is operated in the wake-up state with respect to the neighborawareness networking, based at least in part on a power available to theapparatus.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to transmit another information indicating the adjustedintervals to the electronic device.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe plurality of discovery windows are included in one period among aplurality of periods configured for neighbor awareness networking (NAN).8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bits areconfigured with a bit map.
 9. An apparatus operable in a wireless localarea network, the apparatus comprising: a communication circuitry; aprocessor configured to: detect, using the communication circuitry, anelectronic device external to the apparatus in the wireless local areanetwork, receive, using the communication circuitry, a discovery frameincluding a plurality of bits from the electronic device, the pluralityof bits indicating a plurality of discovery windows spaced at aspecified interval, wherein the plurality of discovery windows areallocated to the electronic device, identify, based on the discoveryframe, at least one discovery window for communicating with theelectronic device among the plurality of discovery windows, switch anoperation mode of the apparatus from a sleep state to a wake-up state inthe at least one discovery window, and receive, using the communicationcircuitry, a signal from the electronic device during the at least onediscovery window, wherein the apparatus is distinct from an accesspoint.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: transmit, using the communication circuitry, informationindicating at least one of another plurality of discovery windows inwhich the apparatus is operated in the wake-up state with respect to theneighbor awareness networking to the electronic device; and transmit,using the communication circuitry, another signal to the electronicdevice during the at least one of another plurality of discoverywindows.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a first time durationcorresponding to the specified interval is longer than a second timeduration corresponding to at least one of the plurality of discoverywindows.
 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to adjust another interval between another plurality ofdiscovery windows in which the apparatus is operated in the wake-upstate with respect to the neighbor awareness networking, based at leastin part on a power available to the apparatus.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to transmitanother discovery frame based at least in part on the adjusted anotherinterval to the electronic device.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9, whereinthe processor is further configured to adjust another plurality ofdiscovery windows in which the apparatus is operated in the wake-upstate with respect to the neighbor awareness networking, based at leastin part on the specified interval of the plurality of discovery windows.15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to transition, in relation with the wireless local areanetwork, the apparatus from a sleep state to a wake-up state in anearliest discovery window of the another plurality of discovery windowsin which the apparatus is operated in the wake-up state with respect tothe neighbor awareness networking.
 16. The apparatus of claim 9, whereinthe processor is further configured to establish a wireless connectionwith the electronic device, such that the apparatus and the electronicdevice are grouped into a cluster with respect to the wireless localarea network based at least in part on the wireless connection.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of discovery windows areincluded in one period among a plurality of periods configured forneighbor awareness networking (NAN).
 18. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein the plurality of bits are configured with a bit map.
 19. Anon-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructionsthat, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or moreprocessors to perform operations comprising: detecting, at an apparatuswhich is distinct from an access point, via wireless communication, anelectronic device external to the apparatus in a wireless local areanetwork; receiving, via the wireless communication, informationincluding a plurality of bits indicating intervals between a pluralityof discovery windows in which the apparatus is operated in a wake-upstate with respect to the wireless communication, from the electronicdevice; identifying, based on the information, at least one discoverywindow for communicating with the electronic device among a plurality ofdiscovery windows which are allocated to the electronic device; andswitching an operation state of the apparatus from a sleep state to thewake-up state in the at least one discovery window.
 20. Thenon-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein theoperations further comprise receiving content from the electronic devicein the at least one discovery window.
 21. The non-transitorymachine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operationsfurther comprise transmitting, to the electronic device, anotherinformation indicating other intervals between another plurality ofdiscovery windows in which the apparatus is operated in the wake-upstate with respect to the wireless communication.
 22. The non-transitorymachine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein a first timeduration corresponding to the intervals is longer than a second timeduration corresponding to at least one of the plurality of discoverywindows.
 23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim19, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting other intervalsbetween another plurality of discovery windows in which the apparatus isoperated in the wake-up state, based at least in part on a poweravailable to the apparatus.
 24. The non-transitory machine-readablestorage device of claim 19, wherein the plurality of discovery windowsare included in one period among a plurality of periods configured forneighbor awareness networking (NAN).
 25. The non-transitorymachine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the plurality ofbits are configured with a bit map.